I saw this movie when it came out and read all the books, its a great story if it were protrayed in the right way I would like to rewrite the screen play, and will be looing into getting the rights to it.

I used to like Masterton when I was 14 or so... As I reread his books in adulthood, I realized what a damn, self-plagiarizing, talentless hack he actually is.

Admittedly, though, his 70s-80s-early 90s "novels" make decent pulp trash for a dentist's waiting room... His "new" books, on the other hand, are beneath terrible - the hack is no longer even trying; he's apparently just pressing keys at random.

Unintentionally hilarious throughout--I thought so when I first saw it in 1979 and it holds up brilliantly! I see that it's been released in the UK on DVD. When, oh when will this slice of cinematic gold hit its home shores!? I fully intend on buying as many copies as I can afford to give to friends, as I've been hocking this film for literally decades. I await its release with bated breath. AND--I have recently (well, within the last 2-3 years or so) seen a GORGEOUS 35mm print of it, presented as part of a Tony Curtis retrospective at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood.. It still exists and it rocks!So please, whoever is in charge of these things, please know that an audience for this film is still out here. Don't keep us hanging much longer!

I rented this convoluted laugh-a-second years ago at a now-defunct rental chain where I also found "Day of the Animals", as well as my first uncut Hentai flick. Andrew was right about the actors saying everything with a straight face. Meanwhile, I was either laughing like crazy or just staring with my mouth hanging open. I especially enjoyed the Burgess Meredith/Colonel Sanders guy. My favorite part, though, was that scene on the operating table where the surgeon cut his own hand while Karen kept repeating that stupid phrase over and over again. I couldn't get that lame, made-up phrase out of my head for weeks after that movie! I think I'll stick to the Hentai.

I just received the recent Anchor Bay copy of The Manitou. Amazing how it stands up to the claims that it is the silliest big-budget horror movie ever made. Burgess Meredith is characteristically over the top, Michael Ansara gives his all to save a sinking ship, but I mostly liked Tony Curtis' serious delivery--although his scenes as the sham psychic are intentionally and effectively comic. Yeah, I love the light show at the end, and Susan Strasberg was a dish.

It is interesting that the performances are actually pretty good in this. I think the one talent Girdler had is that he could get convincing performances out of actors, even if the lines they were being asked to read were terrible. Carol Speed did a pretty good job in the equally silly but less entertaining ABBY.

And dig that crazy cosmic climax! It's like the finales of THE EXORCIST, STAR WARS and 2001 and rolled into one! Laser beams, fiery meteors and kaleidoscopic nebulae everywhere! I only wish it had lasted longer!

I liked the manitou, it was really weird and the whole idea freaked me out. My dad brought it home one day and I watched it followed by Dr.Strange. I think I was about 9 or something....ahh memories...